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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · root · row · foot · squash · cell · bound · file

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bore — to tire
  4. root — of a plant
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. root — the cause
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. file — a document
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. root — of a word
  12. file — a tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bore — to drill
  17. file — a line of people
  18. row — a line
  19. bound — tied together
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com